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D
on’t dismiss Bonnie Tyler as just the
lungs and hair behind 1983’s tear-
streaked break-up ballad Total Eclipse Of
The Heart. Born on June 8, 1951, her
childhood in the Welsh mining village
of Skewen was soundtracked by everyone from Frank
Sinatra to Janis Joplin, and the now 67-year-old belter
has kept her ears open during a career that’s taken in
collaborations with Rick Wakeman, Francis Rossi and
Rod Stewart. But as she reminds us, her myriad
influences all began with her beloved mother.THE FIRST MUSIC
I REMEMBER HEARING
There was always music in our house.
There was none of this: “Shhh, the baby’s
sleeping.” My mother would be singing
at the top of her voice! She had the most
astonishing voice. She’d play a lot of
Mario Lanza, but because I’ve three sisters
and two brothers they’d be playing Elvis
songs like Hound Dog. They’d roll up the
carpet, jiving all over the house. Three of
us became singers. It was inevitable.THE FIRST SONG I PERFORMED LIVE
I entered a talent competition in the local
rugby club when I was seventeen and
a half – when you’re young, you don’t
forget the half. I sang Elvis’s Can’t Stop
Loving You, and came second, which gave
me the confidence to start joining bands.
I was fine about coming second, but
I wasn’t happy about coming second to
an accordion player.THE SONG THAT REMINDS ME
OF ADOLESCENCE
I was painfully shy as a teenager. How the
hell I ever thought I could get up on the
stage, I don’t know. But when I was young
I used to tune in to Radio Luxembourg
every night, and the Stones’ Honky Tonk
Wo m e n was on all the time. I remember
singing that in the car when we used to go
on caravan holidays to Happy Valley in
Porthcawl. I saw the Stones at Wembley
a few years back and they were awesome.MY ANTHEM
Janis Joplin’s Piece Of My Heart. She didn’t always sing
in tune, but it was the feeling she put into everything.
When I was young, I’d be in my bedroom with
a hairbrush, singing into the mirror and thinking: “One
of these days I’ll be on stage”. I never dreamt about
being famous – not like these kids today – I just wanted
to be a girl singer in a band.MY HARD-ROCK FAVOURITE
Sweet Child O’ Mine. That riff! I wanted it as the ringtone
on my phone. My God, I loved Axl Rose. I thought
he was horny as hell. But now, so many people have
got tattoos, I’ve got right off that. Guns N’ Roses
were so rebellious. I just loved the cheekiness. And
Axl Rose was great to watch. Really sexy. Not now,
but anyway...THE BEST LIVE ACT I’VE SEEN
Frankie Miller in about 1974. I was in awe. My God,
he’s only got to open his mouth. I mean, that voice.
But to make it he had to do something commercial
like Darlin’, and it doesn’t show his voice off the way
he really is. He always regretted doing that song.
Unfortunately he had a brain tumour and he can’t even
talk any more, let alone sing. He’s in a bad way.MY SATURDAY NIGHT PARTY ALBUM
A big favourite was Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet
Band’s Stranger In Town (1978). It’s so
raunchy. I still play it, even though it’s so
old. I’ve got one copy in the car, one in
the house...THE SONG THAT MAKES ME CRY
Without You [a huge hit for Harry Nilsson
in 1971] written by a Swansea boy, Peter
Ham. He ended up committing suicide.
He got ripped off right royal in America.
He never got the royalties for Without
Yo u – and he deserved them. What an
awesome song.THE SONG THAT SET ME ON
MY PATH
I got discovered by accident in 1975 by
[talent scout] Roger Bell, who saw me
in a nightclub. He’d come down from
London to listen to the boy upstairs.
Luckily for me, he came in on the wrong
floor and heard me. And when he went
back to London he told them about me
too. I was singing Nutbush City Limits. Tina
Turner really inspired me. Although I did
record Simply The Best two years before
she did it – then she released it and it was
Number One all over the world.THE SONG THAT PROVES I ROCK
People are always surprised how hard
my shows rock. There’s one I do with
Rod Stewart on my new album, called
Battle Of The Sexes. It’s been my dream
to sing with him all my life. Then I did
a song with Francis Rossi. While I was
in Portugal we were invited to Cliff’s
[Richard] house for lunch. I played him the demos and
he said: “That’s fabulous – but what about me?”THE SONGWRITER
Jim Steinman changed my life. When I left RCA in
1976, I wanted to try going more rock. Muff Winwood,
the head of A&R at CBS, said to me: “So, who would
you like to work with?” I said: “Well, I love whoever is
writing for Meat Loaf.” I knew I could do those type
of songs. Muff laughed at me: “Oh, Bonnie, you’ve got
to be joking. He’s never gonna do it.” I said: “You don’t
know until you ask. And they did ask him. So I went to
New York, and Jim took me into the studio and played
me Total Eclipse Of The Heart on the piano. Talk about
a song making you cry. It just hit me. I was looking at
these lyrics, and the tears were falling.THE SONG I WANT PLAYED AT MY FUNERAL
I’ve always said Those Were The Days by Mary Hopkin.
Because it’s all about friendship, y’know?Between The Earth And The Stars is out now via
earMUSIC/Edel. Bonnie Tyler plays the London
Palladium on September 18.“Janis didn’t always sing in tune, but it
was the feeling she put into everything.”
The
Soundtrack
Of My Life
Power-ballad
belter BONNIE
TYLER on the
special records,
artists and gigs
that are of lasting
significance
to her.
Interview: Henry YatesTINA (^) K
OR
HO
NEN
/PR
ESS